Blood Orange and Lemon Cake

As a rule, I try not to post about food I (or loved ones) have cooked unless I have an accompanying recipe link, or unless it is easy enough to create yourself sans instructions. I find it an utterly shameless tease otherwise. “Here, look at this outrageously delicious dish I made but no, oh no sorry, no recipe - you can’t possibly make this at home yourself…” see, I couldn’t possibly taunt your tastebuds like that.

Or could I…

My friends, I am deeply sorry, but today I must tease you a little. Ok not a little, a lot. This post contains something divine, heavenly…but I do not have a recipe link. I looked online, honestly I did, but to no avail.

So here it is, in all it's glory, sans recipe...forgive me, but it was simply too captivating not to share...

Blood Orange and Lemon Cake (update: we found the recipe! here it is recipe link)

There is hope, however, that I have not completely and wickedly teased you all...

If you are at all like me, you will have a backlog of Sunday Life Magazines – saved in the hungry hope that you’ll one day get around to making the recipes you’ve bookmarked. If this is the case, flick back to the November 14th 2010 issue, and you will find a delightful cake nestled in the top right corner of Karen Martini’s cooking column.

Two weeks ago, I fell in love with this cake when mum made to celebrate Ben’s birthday, and it has officially nestled it’s way into the top right corner of my heart. A citrus cake will do that to me, I’m a real sucker for citrus. Cut me a slither (or two) of moist lemony cake, ever so sweet with a delightful citrus zing, and I am a happy girl.

Another reason to fall in love with this cake (forgive me for teasing you further) is that it uses extra virgin olive oil. I love cakes made with olive oil - I really enjoy the flavour and the fat profile is greatly improved compared to if you used butter. Bring on the unsaturated fats! If I had to think of a misgiving about this beautiful cake, it would be that the sugar syrup was really very sweet - perhaps too sweet. Next time I may reduce the sugar content of the syrup. A favourite addition was the vibrant, caramelised blood orange rind that sat pretty and proud on top of the cake. Whilst aesthetically pleasing, I was more in love with the tang and textural adventure it offered.

The tune Summertime played in my head as I ate this lovely, moist cake. Citrus flavours danced delicately on my tongue, and at once I felt elated and content. It tasted like summer.

Heidi xo

p.s. Here are some recipes that I found to be similar to this cake, so as to not leave you with a craving and nowhere to turn. A beautiful Marmalade Cake by the equally beautiful Molly Wizenberg. And a few more cakes that I found when googling the key ingredients - these all look delicious! Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Cake (Meyer lemons are a true love of mine, I eat them like oranges off my parent's tree) Blood Orange and Olive Oil CakeOrange and Lemon Olive Oil CakeLemon Olive Oil Cake And this Olive Oil Cake by Matt Armendariz that took my eye - love the addition of a citrus liqueur!